Giant Food steps into online delivery shoes

Giant Food steps into online delivery shoes

A regional mid-Atlantic grocer is offering its own paid unlimited delivery service.

Giant Food, which operates 163 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia, is rolling out an omnichannel service called Giant Delivers. Formerly known as Peapod by Giant, the new Giant Delivers enables customers to fill their virtual grocery cart via Web or mobile app for next-day home delivery.

To place an order with Giant Delivers or Giant Pickup, customers may use any device to visit giantfood.com, or enter the app, enter their ZIP code and begin filling their cart. Customers will have the option to choose between next-day delivery or same-day pickup services.

In addition, Giant Delivers has recently begun same-day delivery within the downtown Washington, D.C., area. Giant Delivers is available without commitment or subscription, and offers customers the option to sign up anytime for unlimited deliveries for an annual fee of $99. Offerings include an expanded assortment with hundreds of new items, such as plant-based foods, meal kit solutions, and locally curated food products.

Existing Peapod by Giant customers will not experience any interruption of service. The digital shopping will transition to an integrated experience later this year.

"Giant has been the trusted neighborhood grocery store for over 80 years, and we are continually looking for new ways to serve our community's evolving needs and shopping preferences," said Ira Kress, interim president of Giant Food. "Building out our e-commerce services, including Giant Delivers, lets us truly put the 'solution' in meal solutions. We handle the picking and packing, delivering straight to car or doorstep, giving our shoppers that extra helping hand they need."

If Giant Food can expand its same-day delivery service with a paid unlimited subscription offering beyond downtown Washington, D.C. the retailer will become the latest omnichannel grocer to fully challenge AmazonFresh. Most recently, e-commerce grocery platform Mercato launched Mercato Green, a paid delivery membership program that enables consumers in more than 25 states to receive unlimited free, same-day deliveries from participating local grocers.

In contrast, AmazonFresh costs $14.99 per month as an add-on to Amazon Prime membership, which carries a fee of $12.99 per month or $119 per year. The first 30 days of Prime are free. AmazonFresh guarantees a one-to-two-hour delivery window.